Outclanner
by MauMeow1
Summary: Aelis lives as an outcast, a murderer. In a fit of rage against the way of the packs, she lost her old life and became a savage. Now a new wolf has entered her story, and Aelis's world is about to be turned around once again...this time in a way that will change the fate of many others as well. - - - T for violence, blood, and death
1. I Murder

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own _Wolves of the Beyond_. Kathyrn Lasky is owner of all _WotB_ books, terms, ranks, and locations. I claim no ownership over my original characters and express my full approval for you to use them in your own works if you wish._

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OUTCLANNER I

Murder

Cursed one. Inferior. _Malcadh._

The wolf's head throbbed where she had received her last snap from a fellow member of her own pack. There was no blood, but it hurt. It always hurt. Aelis could see the scarlet droplets hit the ground in her mind's eye every time her heart was smashed and her dreams crippled. All of this abuse because of a tail. Sometimes she hated herself for it, but Aelis knew that there was no way to make her short, half-tail any more acceptable.

She bedded down, alone and cast out from the pack like she was every night. Her light brown and gray coat dirty from a long day and her green eyes dulled with her sadness. The cold, crescent moon sailed over her. Would it even care if she perished tonight, hidden in her den for her pack to find her. Would they even care? Her carvings were horrid. She had no talent. Aelis, the gnaw wolf who could not gnaw.

_Why? _The question pounded in her head with the slivers of pain. It had entered her head shortly after joining the Snow Cries pack of the MacDonegal clan and never left.

"Why am I the 'cursed one'?" she growled, frustrated with herself. "Why should I even have a place in a pack when I can't even gnaw right?"

_You could be more_, she thought to herself with a shiver. Horrible, horrible thoughts started to dance in her head. Shaking her coat, the she-wolf tried to bat them aside. _Why should you have to be the gnaw wolf, the lower one? They are useless! You could lead your own pack, your own clan! Why should they shun you for the curse of your mother?_

Aelis shook her head. "No...where would I go? I haven't got any pack or clan to follow me. No one would let a gnaw wolf lead."

A memory slipped into the swirling squall that raged in her mind. A cold, fast wind blowing through her fur. Alone on the top of the hill, she pressed herself to the ground. The wolf who was not her mother had brought her here. She was terrified, and she was confused.

And there, in the windy night, Aelis discovered how to hate.

She hated that wolf, hated the night, and hated the way the air yanked her fur. Hot and fierce, the new feeling coursed through her, lighting the fire in her heart. It never died. It grew in her still today, six years after being abandoned by her kind. She did her best to hide it from herself, tried to replace it with determination or respect. She hated her pack. She hated herself for that. She hated herself for hating everything about her own culture and world.

It simply made no sense. Why should she, who ran with the hunting byrrgis, be treated as if she had done the least? Why should the other wolves have a right to kick and claw her for something she could never have controlled? Why should she, a powerful and beautiful dire wolf of immense strength and skill, be forced to pursue _gnawing _as her one job in life?

The sound of steps outside made Aelis's ears flick up. She glanced outside.

Her heart became frozen the second she saw what was going on. Neala, the McDonegal Obea, slowly trudged through the snow before Aelis. Grasped in her strong jaws was a gray malcadh pup. The cursed wolf did not fight as Aelis had against the she-wolf who was carrying him to his death. He cried a few times, obviously able to tell he was no longer with his mother. The sight made Aelis's fur start to rise. What was this little pup's chance of survival? Aelis guessed he had been born early, as he was much smaller than any pup should be and didn't seem to have anything else wrong with him.

She slunk back and buried her head under her paws. Sorrow, hate, and anger poured in faster than she could tell them apart.

The great Order, this power that guided them, Aelis would never be able to comprehend its purpose. Its beauty and elegance went unnoticed by the poor, mistreated underling, and the only thing she could think of was how unfair and cruel it was.

Her hatred became so strong it was painful, forcing its way out of her throat in a snarl.

The Dim World claimed Aelis as she rose and walked stiffly from her den. Her malformed tail wagged. It was time to make someone, anyone, pay for the lives of the pups who had died at their tummfraws without even seeing the day.

* * *

Neala looked up, certain she had heard the steps of something else as heavy as a wolf. She'd found a large, flat boulder to place the pup on. Hopefully a predator would come soon, and the innocent malcadh would be dispatched without too much trouble or pain. Her heart had long since stopped aching when she placed the young ones where they would probably meet their deaths. The clan was much better off without the misfits. What a great service she was doing to everyone in the Beyond.

It was right. It just had to happen.

She'd never wanted pups. When Neala had finally decided she was infertile, she didn't mourn about it for very long. Nothing wrong with being that way. Nothing wrong with being different. The wrongness of that thought dawned on her, and she worked to convince herself otherwise.

_I have a purpose. The gnaw wolves have a purpose._

"Be calm, now," she murmured softly to the pup as it squirmed once. The gray and white wolf turned to leave, eyes darting around one more time. The tiny wolf behind her gave a loud shriek, the loudest cry it had given during the whole trip. Neala didn't know why, but her limbs moved for a few moments as if she had no control over them. She nudged the unknowing thing gently. Her green eyes stared down at its unopened ones, and the Obea heaved a great sigh.

"Careful, Obea."

Neala's head whipped back. She inhaled the sharp scent of another wolf before spotting the brown-coated she-wolf behind her. Her stubby tail held unimpressively high, the wolf stalked toward Neala with her ears pinned. "Wouldn't want to let your emotions get in the way of your _duty_," she sneered, sarcasm coating her voice like poisonous spikes.

Neala took a step back, now standing over the pup. "Aelis?" she gasped, recognizing the gnaw wolf.

Aelis nodded her head toward the malcadh. "So, Obea," she snarled. She paced left, her hackles raised and her eyes boring into Neala's. "Do you still feel it? The guilt, the _shame_? Does it still hurt to steal away the lives of these innocent pups?" She came closer and closer to Neala, causing the gray she-wolf to back up even more.

_She's gone cag mag_! Neala thought in horror. "It's my duty," she growled back. Her shoulders shifted as she prepared for a fight. Aelis was much younger than her; the fresher she-wolf would have a better chance at winning. That didn't mean Neala wouldn't be able to defend herself until someone could come and help, though. "We need the Obea. It is part of our way."

Heart and eyes blazing, Aelis bellowed in a haggish howl, "Our way is a lie!"

A white flash of pain blinded Neala as Aelis struck. Fast as the wind of a storm, the gnaw wolf lunged forward mid-howl. Her yellowed teeth tore through the wolf's fur and flesh, sinking first into her shoulder and then into her neck. Neala let out a long, terrified yelp that could only be called a scream as Aelis shifted her weight and slammed her into the hard rock. Blood flowed into the mouth of the tan rebel, droplets of red finding their way into her throat. Aelis welcomed the salty taste. So much fresher than an old, carving-filled bone.

Neala twisted and struggled. Finally, both of her paws slammed into Aelis's breast and wrenched the gnaw wolf off of her. The Obea jerked herself back. Her paws crunched on snow stained by her own blood as she tried desperately to escape. Aelis flicked out her tongue and bared her canines. Her head held at the height of Neala's, she paced a half-circle around her. The fear in Neala's body language brought an eerie pleasure to her. At last, someone was suffering for what had happened. Justice had come at last.

Neala's heart pounded. She came to her senses, and, realizing what had to be done, she threw back her head and howled for help. Weakness flooded her limbs from bloodloss. She was scared of looking at what Aelis had done to her neck.

"You think they'll help you?" Aelis growled. She frowned and cocked her head in false sympathy. "They shun you! _You _are the one who steals away their beloved pups."

Fear started to pulse through Aelis. What she had said was a lie, and Neala knew this. The gnaw wolf knew she had to act fast.

Aelis twisted her body as she leaped at Neala. Her paws slammed into the Obea's ribcage as Neala turned much too slowly. Their muzzles met in ferocious smacks and snaps, blood splattering across both of their faces. Aelis howled when Neala's jaws latched onto the side of her face and twisted. Her head was immersed in the fire of the pain so much that she did not feel the sticky, hot feeling of blood starting to soak through her chin and cheek. Aelis snarled again and kicked Neala in the hindquarters. The pain in her head faded only a little when Neala released her and rolled onto her feet.

Shrieking in rage, Aelis bolted in again. Neala was prepared this time. The old she-wolf kept all four feet on the ground and slashed at Aelis's wound. She backed away from Neala, her black lips writhing, head slightly tilted, and young body shivering with eagerness. A second time, she went head first for Neala. Aelis didn't seem to care about how much blood Neala drew this time, though. The more the Obea kicked and grabbed at Aelis, the more frenzied she became. Aelis threw all of her ninety seven pounds into Neala's side and knocked her opponent to the ground.

A sickening crack slammed into Neala's thoughts with the force of a grizzly bear. Neala had been so occupied with fighting off Aelis's attacks that she hadn't noticed they had battled back toward the tummfraw of the malcadh. Aelis didn't seem to have been paying attention either. She recoiled at the sound of bone splintering and a pup shrieking for the last time.

Aelis's stance shifted. "No..."

Sensing the change in the wolf's heart. Neala rose and stumbled away from the dead pup. Blood ran down her back. Pup blood, innocent blood, blood that was not meant to be spilled. The Obea whimpered and looked up at Aelis. Strangely, the brown wolf had not tried to attack. Her movements stiff with shock, Aelis stepped up to the broken body. She sank to her knees. Clarity started to come to her death-crazed eyes.

Shaking uncontrollably, Neala glanced from the malcadh to Aelis, then back to the pup. Its spine had been crushed. Still and cold in the night, the corpse lay. Never to see the sun. Never to live as Aelis and Neala had. Neala took a tentative step away from Aelis. "Aelis -" she started to say.

Aelis let out a murderous snarl of pure hatred. Hatred. It exploded within her like a volcano, cutting off her air and burning her heart. Hatred! Regret and shame no longer reigned her in. Nothing could stop her, and nothing did.

Neala's final cry rang out through the crisp air, shattering it as the pup's cry had. She didn't stand a chance against Aelis's wild desire to kill. Aelis launched herself at her foe and, in one swift and fatal move, latched herself high on Neala's neck, dragged her head and chest to the ground, and adjusted her hold so there could be no escape. Neala's paws flew as she grappled for freedom. Her moves became more and more desperate, losing all precision as her mind became more and more clouded with pain. _No, no, no! Please, Lupus! Please help me! Someone help me...someone help...help...I c-can't..._

When Aelis released her iron grip, the Obea fell to the ground, silent.

"What have you done, you despicable _vyrrwolf_?!"

Aelis raised her head. A black he-wolf stepped out of the trees' shadows, his hackles bristling and emerald eyes glowing with fury. Faking confusion, Aelis tilted her head and licked some of her own blood from her muzzle. "I've simply rid the Beyond of this disgusting killer, packer."

"They're coming," Cluney, the night-colored male wolf, growled. "The Snow Cries pack will punish you for their deaths." He pointed toward the malcadh and Obea with his tail.

It took a moment for Aelis to reply. "They won't get here in time," she said quietly.

Cluney lunged forward, but Aelis charged at the same time. The skilled black wolf dodged her first snap and locked his teeth onto the back of her neck. Aelis rolled, forcing him to release her and go for her stomach instead. She screamed in pain as her belly was ripped open by Cluney's deft slashes. Her forepaws both hit his head at the same time, giving her blow more force than needed to throw him off of her. Spots invaded Cluney's vision. In the moments it took him to regain his footing, Aelis darted in and ripped her canines down his face.

Acting clumsily from surprise, Cluney jumped back with a yelp. His left ear was now torn and a long gash ran down the left side of his face. Snarling, he retaliated by rearing up on his hind legs and falling down onto Aelis when she tried to grab his throat. Aelis writhed underneath him until their bellies brushed and started kicking at his hind quarters. Cluney stepped to the side to let her up. He dove back toward Aelis as she started to rise, clamping his jaws around her foreleg. He bit down as hard as he could, nearly breaking her bone. Aelis clawed him in the eyes before he could snap it. The pain from her wounds was starting to take over. She narrowed her pale green eyes and concentrated on winning the fight.

Aelis yelped loudly, pretending her leg was now completely unusable. Like a mother bird faking an injured wing, she slumped down on one side, ears drooping, and whined. Cluney smacked her hard in the ribs with his left paw several times. He made no move to kill her yet. Despite how much he wanted to tear the traitor wolf's throat out, it was the duty of the pack to punish the murderer of a cursed pup with a slow, painful death. True fear started to show in Aelis's eyes as she, too, saw what would happen if she were caught.

Cluney leaned forward to strike his next blow, just what Aelis had been waiting for. She unsteadily launched herself off of her hind legs. Cluney threw back his weight and, a split second before Aelis struck, raised his paws in time to meet hers. Barking madly, Aelis wrestled his head and shoulders down after much kicking and snapping. Cluney's eyes widened when he saw. "Savage!" he roared. He struggled up.

Aelis danced left, cruel light shining from the green suns focused on Cluney. She dodged a low bite. Rearing once more, both of Aelis's forepaws crashed down onto Cluney's spine and neck. He rolled at the last moment, trying harder than he had at anything before to change his fate. The familiar sound from earlier in the night echoed in Aelis's ears: the cracking of bone coupled with a dying cry of pain.

And Aelis stood alone in the crimson snow. Her coat was painted with the beautiful substance of fire and life. Her once pitiful tail was raised with pride. The victorious lord of a victorious pack, she growled a curse to the stars she once worshipped.

Paw-steps. Howls. Aelis let out a low snarl. The Snow Cries pack would soon arrive and find a packer, Obea, and malcadh dead."My order! My way!" Aelis barked in a voice high with glee. "I am the Lupus, chieftain of my clan! FREE!"

Her leg was wounded badly, but she still managed to run. Loping at top speed, Aelis fled the scene of the three kills. The Outermost...yes. That was the only place she could go now. They wouldn't be able to follow her there. Closing her eyes as she continued running, Aelis remembered what she'd heard about the place. _Disorderly and cruel. There are no packs, no ranks, no clans. Blood and death is the law there. There is no Lupus and no song, just mindless killing and savagery._

A savage, Cluney had called her. Mindless killing and savagery.

The Outermost, Aelis thought. It would be the perfect place for a wolf like her, prepared for the honest world and the justice of solitude.

"Savage!" Aelis yelped. "Yes, I am savage! I am the killer, savage and free, and I will never submit again!"

Her former pack drew closer and closer, yapping and bellowing for vengeance. The trail of blood Aelis left with every stride worried her at first. For a few heartbeats, the she-wolf actually wondered if she would be able to make it out of their land. _What have I done? _she thought. She fought it off quickly. "It had to be done. I avenged them. It was _fair_." Shaking her head, she pushed herself harder.

They did not catch her. As Aelis had predicted, the Beyond wolves, of civilized and orderly pasts, did not dare to stray very far into the loveless, dark forests of the Outermost. Those who stayed behind to search for the renegade gnaw wolf came back wounded by the savage Outclanners who lurked in the wretched place. Most Snow Cries wolves believed she had committed suicide by running into the Outermost. After all, how could a wolf raised with the ways of the Beyond survive a day among the cruel creatures of even greater evil than herself?

"I am the killer, savage and free," Aelis muttered.

Dim one. Savage. _Outclanner._

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**WHOA, that turned out way longer (and more violent) than I thought it would! As you can see, this story is going to be much darker than my previous work, which took place in a world designed to be safe for six year olds. Bella Sara is still awesome, though! Expect a few more deaths and fighting later. Nothing worse than the Warriors books, so the rating will never go up and I will NEVER include anything darker than murder.**

**As a warning, the story stays a little bloody. Nothing badder than what we saw here. In fact, I think _this _chapter is going to be the worst of them all. **

**As stated in my Disclaimer, I don't care if you use Aelis, Cluney, Neala, or the Snow Cries pack. Heck, if you want to make some epic story about the malcadh who was smashed here, I won't stop you. Just let me know, 'kay?**


	2. II Savage

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own _WotB. _All terms, places, and ideas belong to Kathryn Lasky. I claim no ownership over my original characters and consider them property of FanFiction so everyone can use them._

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OUTCLANNER II

Savage

Is it possible for the dawn to come and a world to still remain lightless?

Maybe. Aelis certainly thought so. The sun came up, smiling, joyful, and the hearts of the Outclanners stayed as black as night. Savagery was the only way to survive in Aelis's world. Killing and cannibalism was expected. It was _needed_. The smell of death had been infused in her nose, in her brain, since the first kill she had made simply for the fun of it. It haunted her no more, for its presence meant only a new meal for the starving wolf, no matter who it was coming from.

Aelis looked around eagerly. Beside her stood two more wolves, a small, ragged female with bloody silver fur, and a tall, strong male whose coat had once been a soft creamy color (it was now hard to tell with how much of it was dirty or missing). Like Aelis, both were covered in the ugly scars a wolf is given from such a brutal lifestyle. Esewl, the she-wolf, had a very prominent tear running all the way from her forehead to her nose, which was split at the top. The cream wolf, Vern, had most of his fur torn off from fights.

All three of them paced around their dying prey. Aelis had formed a temporary alliance with three wolves: Esewl, Vern, and a white he-wolf named Blemir. After Vern and Aelis killed Blemir a year ago, the remaining trio had stuck together for the most part. The rule had been established soon after the death of their young companion: _Don't kill the other two. Don't leave the other two. Don't get attached to the other two._

A young caribou lay with three legs broken before them. It kept crying out for its mother. Aelis sneered at the petty beast. Hadn't the stupid thing realized that its kind had abandoned it by now? It didn't even deserve to live. She could have killed the caribou long ago. Perhaps they were just trying to make sure it could not hurt them when they went in a final time, but there was nothing that could replace the thrill Aelis now felt when she got to kill, when she got to sink her yellowed fangs into something that bled. The life of an Outclanner had taken its toll on her. She had nothing else to look forward to but the confirmation of her power. _I am strong and savage and free. Here is the proof. Look, you foolish clan wolves! Look what a gnaw wolf can do without you_.

"This is boring," Esewl snarled. Her pale, nearly yellow, green eyes darted from Aelis to Vern, searching for an answer without the question ever leaving her mouth. Vern gave her a small, tense nod. Aelis merely snarled and danced closer to the caribou. The three Outclanners surged forward at the same time, each one of them knowing exactly what to do to complete the job.

Esewl sank her broken fangs into the neck. Vern seized the back. Aelis went for the hind legs. Between them, the young, tender animal was literally torn apart in the most savage method of killing prey. They required no byrrgis and wouldn't have known how to form one anyway. Savage was their way and savage was the way they brought others down with them. Aelis's heart thumped wildly as she lifted her head up. Like the other two, her muzzle was drenched in deep crimson. The caribou screamed and kicked as long as it could, but however painful the kill was, at the very least, it was also fast compared to the snaps and torture the calf had endured.

Aelis let out a little growl of pleasure. Killings always made her giddy for more of the fights that outcasts learned to live for. Her green eyes darted from Esewl to Vern. They were also excited, jumping and snarling with delight. Esewl seemed more grateful, already eating and standing protectively over her portion. Aelis was disappointed. Vern trembled with elation, but, like Esewl, he settled down quicker than Aelis and started to dig into the fresh, warm meat.

After they had finished their meal, eating as much as they could and leaving only a few scraps among the bones, they rose and prepared to move on. Vern and Esewl pranced across the bloody ground and raised their heads to howl in victory. Their "songs" were more of drawn-out screams, tearing through the sad air with the ferocity of hunting eagles. They had no clear meaning and no purpose other then to announce that something had happened, as no Outclanner attempted to distinguish the good howls from the bad. Aelis paced a few feet before sitting quietly to listen to the twisted music of her companions.

Vern lowered his muzzle and stared at her. "Come on, Aelis," he said in his scratched up voice. "Howl with us this time."

Anger came in a painful flash of red. Aelis simply bared her teeth at him. Backing away, she barked a few times. "There," she snarled. Her body language spoke so clearly of her refusal to howl or explain that Vern gave up on getting her to join them.

The truth was that Aelis hadn't howled since the first week she had been an outclanner. How long ago had that been? A year? Two? Aelis was an Outclanner made, not born, and so her howls were somehow made differently than those of the others. When the wolves around her had let out shrieks and angry cries like those of pups, from Aelis's throat came the melodious song of a wolf of the Beyond. Aelis did not want to be singled out from them. Even more than that, she did not want any of the clan wolves hear one of their own in the Outermost. Ever since then, Aelis had silenced her howl. Now she wondered if she could even remember how to sing if she wanted to.

Esewl sniffed the air. Her hackles rose. "More wolves that way. Large group. They're not fighting." She nodded her torn up nose toward the east.

Vern shifted with discomfort. He looked toward Aelis again. "Do we attack them?" Born into the dark world, Vern and Esewl often turned to Aelis stupidly. Aelis wanted to scowl at them and tell them that if they used their own heads they would be able to figure _something_ out. This did, however, give Aelis a better chance at being spared if they turned to cannibalizing one another when no food was available.

A storm of emotions brewed in Aelis's head. She wanted to go and grapple for her life with these strange wolves. She wanted the fire to return to her blood, for her heart to sing with desire to kill, and for her blank mind to be thrown back into the frenzy that made her feel alive. Despite this, reason won. Aelis took in a whiff and immediately knew the rout was at least six wolves strong. Unusually large, they would not have many problems taking out one that was two times as small. "No," Aelis replied reluctantly. "Let's find a shelter. We can steal the dens from the wolves we saw a few days ago."

Vern nodded in agreement with her change of plans. He obediently started to trot ahead of them. No submission was required, a rule Aelis loved more than life itself. She wasn't a lord or leader here. Just "the smart one" who was equal to every other savage. Esewl followed with Aelis in the back. They all readied themselves for another fight; the new day of bloodshed had just begun.

* * *

"They're gone." Vern checked the closest of the small caves formed by the boulders. Faint streaks of red remained on the sides, and the smell of death wafted around them. Aelis jogged up to another of them and peered in. Wolves and life had been in this very place quite recently. The attack must have happened very recently.

She slowly relaxed and wagged her puff of a tail pleasantly. "Must have been a battle a day ago. They weren't all killed." Her senses started to return to normal when her body realized there would be no fight for a safe den. "I'll check around. They might return."

Vern's throat issued a deep growl. Huffing, he started to nose around the blood-salted ground, antsy for another thing to do. Aelis could have pitied him, an Outclanner without any simple goal to run after. _Survival. Yes, that must be what I'm hoping for. What else could be more important when I have this freedom to live for. _"Esewl?" she barked, swinging her head about in search of the slim she-wolf.

A loud shriek pierced the air.

"No," Esewl said with cruel delight, backing away from one of the dens on the other side of the boulders. "They weren't all killed."

* * *

**I'm really sorry about how short this chapter was! I'm working on the new one right now, but expect the updates to be slow with all my schoolwork DX. If you're wondering, no, Aelis is not exactly right in the head. I now have the entire story planned out, and I will need a few OCs in later chapters. Don't send them in yet. I'll make a form and stuff, but it might be a while until they're required since I have no idea how consistent my chapter posts will be later.**

**The story will get lighter very, very soon. I don't like super dark stories, but with this one I'm experimenting with different (crazy) types of characters. Thank you so much to the people who reviewed! I'm going to try to return reviews, but, like I said, I'm busy so it'll take a while for me to read your stories. Thank you thank you thank you thank you for reading!**


	3. III Innocence

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own _WotB. _All terms, places, and ideas belong to Kathryn Lasky. I claim no ownership over my original characters and consider them property of FanFiction so anyone who wishes to can use them_

* * *

OUTCLANNER III:

Innocence

The small, thin wolf looked up quickly. His hindquarters slammed hard into the wall of the crevice as he scrambled back in horror. Blood ran down his dark gray fur, all the way down to his creamy white belly. Already wounded, he could do nothing but crouch as far away from the vicious creatures as possible and lower his head in hopes that they had something that remotely resembled pity left in their hearts. His white-tipped tail curled as far under his legs as it could go, setting him off-balance. He wobbled but managed to regain it.

Outside the strange wolves crept closer, their ragged fur heaving with excitement. Their eyes glowed with a reckless light, the sort that illuminated from a rabid wolf who knew no more mercy or love. Perhaps they _were_ diseased, all of them! The young wolf had seen nothing but hellish suffering and violence since he unknowingly entered the Outermost. He did not know why anyone would act this way, why anyone would be so cruel.

The she-wolf who had first spotted him tensed herself. She stepped over so a large creamy he-wolf could see the discovery clearly. Now the only exit was blocked by them, and his bloody fate was sealed. A dusty brown wolf with a deformed tail trotted about behind the other two. There weren't any more attackers that he knew of, but three was more than enough to kill a starved and handicapped wanderer.

_I'm going to be killed...dear Panthaeri, they're going to rip me open like that poor wolf back there. _A weak whimper escaped his lips. He couldn't fight. He couldn't run. He had failed.

"Another sobbing piece of prey," the brown she-wolf snarled tauntingly. She had worked herself up, snarling and clawing the ground, like he had never seen a wolf do before. The rage in her face and voice made him jump and hit his head hard on the low roof of the cave.

The silver and white one glanced back at her with annoyance. Her tail flicked toward the cream wolf. "Just kill it, Aelis," she growled. Her eyes bored into the wolf. He couldn't turn away from her; death's cold stare was right behind hers. Inside, he agreed. _Hurry up and stop the fear_, he thought, willing them to end his life before they could come up with some way to torture him to death like a hunted animal.

The cream wolf took a step forward. "Vern!" Aelis grumbled. Casting a cold look toward both companions, she shoved her way in between them.

Vern gave no warning. He charged forward, his lips curled to show his broken teeth and crazy eyes narrowed coldly. The young wolf he was attacking let out a yelp at the same time as Aelis's bloodcurdling battle cry. He felt Vern's teeth grab onto his neck, right there, where he just had to squeeze a little more. The wolf fell to his side. He yelped again when his small, bent-up hind paw hit the ground. Vern's fangs slipped toward his scruff. Growling with annoyance, he slammed his prey into the ground forcefully. Blood seeped into the mouth of the disabled wolf's mouth, his nose numbing from the blow.

Claws dug into his back, tearing at the fur. Someone else grabbed his...tail? He twisted and screamed with every last bit of energy, trying, hoping to roll out from under the mass of fur, tooth, and claw. Every time he kicked one off, another struck a harder blow. Unable to drag his muzzle from the blood-smeared ground, the wolf went slack and decided to accept his mercifully short death.

* * *

Aelis fastened her sharp teeth onto their victim's tail. It had become a fun little tradition for her to try to bite off some of a wolf's tail before it died. They all died cursed in the end. And she, blessed, went on with her belly full. He kicked and squirmed a lot, making it hard for her to get a hold. She managed to tear a little fur before a clawed paw hit her right in the eye. Howling in pain, she jumped back. "Stupid pup!" She readied herself to lunge again. Then she got a clear look at his hind leg.

He had obviously been favoring it the entire time, but Aelis hadn't been exactly eager to help heal a broken bone. Where she had been expecting a slight twist or bloody mark, the limb was crumpled as if it had been smashed. Even more intruigingly, it did not look like an old, wrongly healed wound. The leg was unnaturally short, the paw tiny and permanently curled, and the knee bent back at an excruciatingly painful angle. Aelis paused. Scents swam around her head as she took in a deep whiff for the first time. _Cougar, Outclanners, fish...more cougar._ There was certainly more cat smell in his fur than a simple fight with one would have left on him.

The dreaded realization Aelis had been fighting off started to dawn. A deformed wolf raised by another species. What else could this be but another one of them?

_No! _Aelis thought, suppressing the urge that grew inside of her. She was no longer a gnaw wolf! Why should a savage Outclanner even think about helping another? Not even a fellow Outclanner at that! Still, the half-dead wolf she had once been fought within her. _I swore off these petty feelings. Even the clans despise us cursed wolves._ Love_ should not be expected of me! So many I have killed; I've probably murdered other malcadhs in the past without even noticing._

No matter what she told herself, it could not be justified. Here was an innocent, another abandoned wolf begging for its life, the wolf that Aelis had been so many long years ago. _Well_, she thought, her dark heart swelling like a vyyrwolf's. _Maybe another wolf will help us win more fights. Besides, we can always change our minds if we get hungry next winter._

She let go of the tail. Leaning back with a low rumble, she watched Esewl and Vern continue to deliver an undeserved beating to the presumed malcadh. Esewl, noticing that Aelis had stopped, looped around Vern and swung her head toward her fellow rout member. "What?" she hissed through red, clenched teeth and pawed Aelis's foreleg.

Aelis snapped at her lightly. "Back off."

"Fine," Esewl muttered, turning back to the deformed one.

"Off of _him_," Aelis snarled. She stepped up and roughly kicked Vern back. He spun toward her, his eyes full of confusion. Giving him no answer, Aelis strode around him so she was shielding their victim from both other Outclanners.

"_You_ don't decide that," Vern's hackles prickled with aggravation. Esewl nodded and shot Aelis a killer's glare. Aelis lashed out violently, raking her teeth toward his face and missing by only a hair. Vern's ears flicked back nervously. Though he was stronger than Aelis, she had proven many times that she was capable of getting what she wanted by force. Most of the time that was death, and this new motivation behind her actions puzzled both of them. Esewl shrank back warily. Her icy stare drifted toward the malcadh. He raised his crimson-streaked head slowly, shaking badly and blinking with disbelief.

Aelis's fur rose, making her appear almost as large as Vern. "I think we could use another member, okay?"

"Can't even fight back!" Esewl protested. Her dumb, angry eyes continued to swim with confusion.

Aelis flashed her bloody teeth and stood ready for a fight. "Then for our food! Won't take much to drag him around."

Vern cocked his head. Like Esewl, he couldn't seem to comprehend the idea of a sudden change. "Like that Blem wolf then?" he said slowly, scuffling his paws.

Aelis stomped the ground in frustration. "Yes!" She spotted Esewl shifting uncomfortably at this.

Forced into trusting them, Aelis wheeled again. She kicked the malcadh hard in the ribs. There was the satisfying sound of flesh being struck and a loud gasp. She wasted no time checking to see how severe his injuries were and dragged him up by the scruff. The wolf, who must have been less than a year old and famished, screamed a little when she dropped him back onto his crooked, undersized leg. Irritated by his constant, frightened whimpers, Aelis spoke in a slow, rough snarl. "Who are you?!"

He tried to stand, but his paws slipped, and he fell back to his side. His dark, viridescent eyes were wide with terror. "I-ummm...I...I..." Aelis raised her paw as if to hit him again. Flinching, he ducked his head, ears folded, in an almost submissive posture. "I...I'm not from wherever this is...I was just looking for...uh, some wolves..." His voice dropped to a whisper at the end, and he tried to avert his eyes.

"Which wolves?" Aelis exploded. Startled, the malcadh yelped and pressed his muzzle into the dirt, _almost _like a clan wolf would. Something, just one something, seemed to be off. Regardless, Aelis actually felt some pleasure seeing another wolf acknowledge her as more powerful, something she never got as a gnaw wolf or an Outclanner. "Well?!" she shouted.

"Riedel, a c-cougar that saved me when, um, when I was lost as a pup...she said I was old enough to find my own kind," he replied. His voice was still a trembling whine, and Aelis had to lean in to hear.

Wagging her tail, Aelis sat down. "Looks like you found them!" she said sarcastically. She looked briefly at Esewl and Vern to make sure they hadn't decided they were against her on this. "Welcome to our pack." _Pack_. A tingling feeling shot through Aelis's blood at that word. Pack. That place where she had endured so much suffering for a tail. She had tried to cleanse the word and make it her own. Now she had only managed to drench her _pack_ in blood.

He tried to refuse. "Please, I c-can't stay here! There are so many evil wolves. Just look at you! You can't even decide whether or not to eat me!"

"Welcome to our pack," Aelis repeated. She lowered her scarred face to his. "Did I say you had a choice to leave it? Here is the place of wolves. There is no other way to survive. Join us or be killed now."

Esewl snickered. She didn't quite understand the purpose of forcing another wolf into the rout, but to her the stricken look Aelis got in response was one of the most amusing things she'd seen all day.

"Why?" the cursed one whimpered. "Why do you want me?"

Aelis glanced over his leg. He noticed this and became very uneasy. "There are others, but they are organized. You, newcomer, must be taught, but you will make us stronger and provide later...supplies."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what she meant. Something left the wolf's throat on a breath, but Aelis could only catch the word "savage". _Fitting_, Aelis thought, suppressing a smile. "Okay," he murmured after some thought. "Don't kill me...I'll help your 'pack'."

"Name?" Vern asked from behind Aelis. She nodded, also eager to hear the answer.

The malcadh shifted. "I...um...she always called me 'wolf'. Can I be called Wolf? I...I don't think I have a name."

Esewl rolled her eyes. "No! No name!" She looked at Aelis. "Give him a better name!" The wolf looked from Vern to her as if wondering _Are they cag-mag?_

"A wolf name, then," Aelis said in agreement. She came close - too close - to him and cleared her throat. "Moldwarp," she decided. "An Old Wolf name! Perfect." Moldwarp, as he would now always be called by her, looked ready to protest. Esewl and Vern nodded with genuine approval. Aelis's knowledge sometimes surprised them. What an odd Outclanner she could be. Moldwarp slowly nodded his head, and his title was sealed. Of course, Aelis didn't care for Old Wolf or the clans' language. "Moldwarp", one of the worst curses any wolf could utter in them, was another small act of rebellion. It was, indeed, one of the most ugly names any wolf of the Beyond could think of. A perfect name for a new Outclanner.

She would train him, this would-be gnaw wolf. She would help the Outermost grow. She would save him from that life she'd left behind in the McDonegals. The clans obviously did not want the imperfect. However innocent, however hateful they were. The fire inside her raged on, angry as ever, but a new spark seemed to have been born there. If Aelis hadn't remembered the brutal murders of long ago and every day spent in this wasteland, she might have called it mercy.

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**Additional Disclaimer: **_MauMeow1 and her other FanFiction characters do not condone the naming of new rout members after cuss words. _

**You know, I do feel sort of sorry for doing that to Moldwarp. Please review of possible and thank you so much for reading! Next chapter will be up in about a week.**


	4. IV Games

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own _Wolves of the Beyond_. Kathyrn Lasky is owner of all _WotB_ books, terms, ranks, and locations. I claim no ownership over my original characters and express my full approval for you to use them in your own works if you wish._

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OUTCLANNER IV:

Games

Fear scent clung to Moldwarp's pelt like the dried clumps of blood on all the Outclanners'. He kept his head low as he walked, unable to shake the image of a half-eaten wolf out of his head. _This is disgusting_, he thought. He glanced up at Aelis, who seemed to be the leader despite the other two never calling her anything. They rarely spoke, communicating only in sharp yaps and growls and confusing him with their constant nips and bites that seemed to mean something. All three enjoyed attacking him for no apparent reason, leaving his young and frail body twice as bloody and bruised as it had been before.

He yelped as Esewl kicked him from behind. "Hey!" he almost snapped back, but the look in her eyes stopped him. _Why has __she been tailing me this whole time? _he wondered. Vern froze, inhaling a great volume of air as if he'd just caught the scent of prey. Knowing they had already eaten, Moldwarp regarded him curiously. The large wolf took a step away from the group and growled.

Aelis turned back toward Vern and followed his gaze. "Ah," she said, coming to a sort of agreement with him. Esewl shook herself and also stopped.

"What is it?" Moldwarp asked, frustrated. All he could smell in that direction were a few wolves and some deer.

The brown she-wolf shoved him aside roughly. She purposely aimed at his hindquarters, throwing Moldwarp onto his odd leg and silencing him with the distraction. He got up with a defeated huff. No use in seeking answers from the wolves who had just mauled, adopted, and basically imprisoned him. They started to trot ahead. Moldwarp followed, knowing Aelis, the most confusing one, would come back to drag him along with them.

_Why Aelis? _he wondered musingly as he hobbled after the rout. She acted desperate for violence, beating him when he asked questions and tearing up cannibalized corpses as if she despised the poor wolf she didn't even _need_ to eat. But this was only one side, the larger side, of the Outclanner, and Moldwarp could tell. She had saved him from death (admittedly subjecting him to sights worse than it) and given him a name Esewl and Vern both admired. While Moldwarp didn't particularly like the sound of it, it was better than "wolf". Why had a wolf so hungry for blood even bothered? He felt the sting of her venomous stare still in his disabled leg, and a shiver passed through him. _Could it be? But the question is the same..._why_ would I be spared because of a _leg_?_

Vern barked excitedly. Esewl looped around the group to Moldwarp as if to keep an eye on him. He looked around, feeling small and scared as more and more wolves came into view. About twenty Outclanners had gathered in a loose oval, every one of them yipping and snarling incoherently. He shrunk against Esewl instinctually and earned himself a missing clump of fur.

Far to his left he spotted a limping buck surrounded by a dense clump of canines. They growled and snapped at it when it moved, but none of them seemed to be trying to kill or even severely wound. Aelis leaped and danced with more of her endless energy. Her small, queer tail wagged as she moved back toward Moldwarp and Esewl. "Soon it will begin," Esewl hissed, and the bloodlust in her voice sent shivers down Moldwarp's spine.

Some wolves moved back, revealing a second deer. The wolves howled, except for Aelis, who barked. Moldwarp dreaded what was to come.

* * *

When the two deer were released toward each other, Aelis kept her eyes on Moldwarp. Esewl quickly became distracted and started yapping furiously, turning her complete attention to the craw. _Typical._ Aelis rolled her eyes. A craw was the closest thing Outclanners had to entertainment. Routs would gather under the unspoken agreement that a fight would not be started and thrust two animals together to watch them battle to the death. The practice was as sick and warped as Aelis's mind, serving no purpose other than cheap spectacle and some food for the ones who organized it.

She snickered as the new wolf's expression changed from one of confusion to terror. The two frightened prey animals tried to escape, charging the Outclanners at the inner edge of the ring. They all snapped back as one horrible monstrosity, a beast of the Dim World hiding under the illusion of many wolves, for hatred was much too small to describe what drove the craw. An inexplicable hunger for misery hung in the air of the Outermost. Here were wolves cast out by clans, lone wanderers trained to kill to survive, and souls born into a world where everything around them was_ this_. Death. What else could they entertain themselves with?

And here was Aelis. Egging on their innocent prey. Barking, singing, for death.

"Wrong," a soft voice sobbed beside her. "Wrong, wrong, wrong..."

"Shut up, beslubbering fool!" Aelis smacked Moldwarp with her claws. In her disarray, a curse slipped out, a curse the he-wolf did not know. He did not seem to dwell on this strange, new vocabulary. Tears were forming in Moldwarp's moon-wide eyes.

The game of blood continued. Participating wolves charged in and out, driving the two deer closer and closer. Finally, the addled creatures locked antlers. A great roar of approval rose from the crowd. They moved forward, trapping the deer in a smaller and smaller ring of teeth. Aelis sneered at Moldwarp's fear of the savagery. "Come on, Mold," she crooned, "Watch the game. It's called a craw." It was hard to explain why she said it as chillingly as she did. She knew, though, that if Moldwarp was to learn the way of the Outermost, he would have to dull himself to the everyday blood and, one day, enjoy it.

Aelis despised the feeling of it, but she truly wanted this malcadh beside her. Deep instincts even a life of murder could not destroy stirred within her. A ghost was reawakening.

The deer clashed desperately, hoof and antler flying. Fear shone wildly in their dark eyes. The same fear that shone in Moldwarp's as he muttered under his breath. Aelis's ears tilted toward him slightly, expecting a curse on these killers. Instead, she heard the softest of whimpers and most un-wolfish sobs, almost like a prayer.

The young buck seemed to be winning at first. Then the lame stag threw itself back in with a new burst of fire. He brandished his rack, swaying and breathing heavily with the immense effort of going on. The buck plowed toward him. They struck full antlers for the last time. A snapping sound like breaking bone broke the air. Ah, breaking bone. How familiar it still was to Aelis. She smiled. The buck stumbled backwards, stunned and dizzy. This would have won the fight in normal circumstances, but Outclanners moved in on the old buck from all sides. He had no choice. Rushing in again, he stabbed and kicked for his own life.

"Let it go," Moldwarp whispered. "Why can't you let it go?"

"Because that would be boring, wouldn't it?" Aelis grinned and slid her eyes over the battling prey.

Moldwarp looked surprised that she had answered him for once. "You speak," he murmured. "And it's not like them. You watch me and...a-and you don't - "

"Quiet or you're next in the craw!" Aelis slammed her rump down onto his back, crushing Moldwarp beneath her weight. He yelped and crumpled instantly. Fear pulsed through her. She refused to let him up easily, his statement echoing through her marrow. No! She wasn't different! She was an Outclanner, a murderer! There was no way he knew of her past, of the gnawing, of the_ humiliation_...

"Sorry," Moldwarp gasped. He tucked his tail, sinking down and trying to avert his eyes from the craw. She looked over him once before returning to the craw. Why was she so sensitive to questions now? Aelis shook her head and decided she was returning to the "ask and get scarred" policy.

The younger deer now lay dying. His skin was torn open from the shoulder to the tail, his hind legs broken, and his sides heaving with his final breaths. The sight offered Aelis a distraction. The victor stood above the buck, shaking and barely able to stand. The wolves became silent as they watched it come to an end. There was no paying of respect to the prey, no thanks, just the licking of lips and hunkering down of wolves preparing for their meal. Once the deer had become completely still, it was the "winner's" turn to die.

Aelis pushed Moldwarp along with the other wolves. She felt him bracing forelegs and digging his dewclaws into the ground, refusing to partake in the barbaric sport even when she became annoyed and threatened him with increasingly horrible injuries. "No," he growled, kicking her chest with his usable hind leg and almost toppling over. "No, I won't kill something like this!"

_Weak! _She merely yanked his tail in response. Moldwarp was not budging. For someone so skinny and weak of heart, he was surprisingly good at resisting her. _Fine_, Aelis finally thought. _Another kill will have to do, then_. Ears flicking back with frustration, Aelis skirted around him and helped herself to the still-living deer. Too shocked to move, Moldwarp watched the scene in silence. The wolves of the craw didn't care whether or not either creature was still alive. Once the stag fell, they made sure he would never rise up again.

Soon old bones and scraps were left. The routs scattered in all directions, leaving only their band and a couple old loners Vern chased off shortly. Moldwarp stood rooted in the exact same spot, looking from wolf to wolf with not only fear but revulsion. _He'll get used to it_. Aelis sighed. She signaled the others with a sharp yelp. As they trotted back toward the temporary dens, Moldwarp's words continued to replay in her head. _You speak. And it's not like _them. _You watch me._

What was this new feeling that devoured her inside? She could not still be a clan wolf in her heart, not after all that had happened...but did she want to be?

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**Early update because why the heck not? I finished this really fast because I got the idea right after typing up chapter 3. I'm probably going to rewrite it because I think the writing was sort of clunky & dragged in places, but it's done for now, so I decided I might as well let you read it...**

**Thanks to all the reviewers and readers!**

* * *

**Also...I am now a beta reader!_ Please_ let me know any stories you want beta read because I am so, so, so eager to start. I do this category and a few others (more may be added later). Look at my beta profile for more info on what I'm strong with.**


	5. V A Gyr Soull

chattER 7seven:

a Gier Sou?!1!1

Tehmoon was vry shockingly bite n the dep blak sjy. Nderneth there wawere rtree wulfs. 1 of da wufs lluk ovER 2 alis. "Alis I tgink that wda wolfs r going 2 kill us 2niht" he sas.

Alis lucked verry worid abut da wulfs ho wus r goeing 2 kill them. "i outsclaner muldvorp. i fite yem"

muldvorp suddnly lucked sadd. "Alis i dunt ant u too b a meen outlcanner i want u to b mi mamummy b/cause dhe clans take mune awy!"

"i dunt lick hose wof clans muld" alis sat back "TAT Y I KIL colon n neels"

"but u no kill me! if u likk me csnt u be my MUm;

'nii" replyed allis. "r u crasz/"

"plz?!11!" mulwep ppleadf?

Aelis git up nd waked awy. he didnt went 2 tlk 2 muldORp abutt hi mom or da4 it ws 2 pane full 4 hr 2 b remidr of he own!1!

mulwilp signed adly. he was soo alunE! wat ws he spouse 2too do? mhe rin arter ales, butt she wes alredy 2 far awy!1

"o well" he sad 2 himself. "i go find a mum or dAf by mtself1"

muldwarp wisked in2 the uppermost. his is were outclanns live! THe r not nuce outcanners luke ALIS! teh wwere MEEN and kiled wulfs jus 4 fun ir 2 eet dem likc alis n teh nice oucannrs u se 2 do. mulwerp feel scsred! He shuk reel hard n he sa "im scarred if wat t[he meen outcans will du if tey find me!" wit alis he wud prottect muldw. now sum1 cud just cum n hurt molewar.

ten ouycanes luged frum nowre! hey a taked him hard. mulwaep jumped hih!the men savvejes taked him bit him n scorched his rur wi5 theyr clawes. it bleeded. THE blood hurtded1! "nu u need 2 stip herting other wulfs!" mukwaf eckslamed. he kiked dem herd! his bak leg w2s hurted cuz he was a melcadef, sbut He fot wit it any way! he was suddny very strung! Mold lucked, don. hes legs wur all ok now! his fer was chanjng coler an e was not moldwaor=p! he wqs somwun els...anuFaelon!1!111

Fay lon lucked up. "he i am a diffent wilf !"

"!" muldwepr say but he dindt cuz he was faelon 2. WAHT? he thicked.

stroing faoeleon fout off ALL of tey ouclansrs! theh fell asnd then bleed on2 the dark grund. tey dead of tehy ran way scarred of famulden.

"i no!" faulen sed. "is yis anuther gyr sol;/"

"yes" moldwarp saif "WAIT, WHAT is a ger soul?"

i will b u later becuz u r hme from het past!1!" foelan

"relly/11!" moleops was exited.

"1st i will get ut of u." fie'loan left mopwar's buddy so he wus standin bside him "u r a very speshcal, meiwarp. we r oild solds! u wer many anmals be4 and now u r me in hey future!"

"wat;"

"gyres r maghic wulfs whu becum new buddies wen they regenereborn i rember wen i was u"

"y r u her tho?" mu[pw ask

"u wer going 2 doie n it summed me.."faoeln say bac

"tat;s so kawaii" mooe;war s

"i willl go new" he annowns

Fowalein DSIAPPERARED!

'i fin they shark now"1 mole saed. tje sark wus a very smert he she woplf wo cud tell meolwpr abut gire sullens!

Alis cam over late. "were is moldwerpe[?s he thinks. "o no i was ging 2 b his mon1!1"

wil alis fiNd in time 2 b his mum!?1 red mor later!7!

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**HAPPY APRIL FOOLS' DAY!**

**I am aware that this technically breaks rules, but I couldn't resist. I'll take it down soon and replace it with the real chapter (which is in progress). This was inspired by trollfics, or purposely badly written stories. **

**This chapter is NOT meant to be part of the story. I got a random idea and it was really fun to write. I know I wasted your time with this, but it was just too weird not to publish. **

**sea u nex chapu[er!1! u r so= kawaii; reveewers%1. hank u 4 reeding miy store111!1!**


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